Ice cube tray



Oct; 19, 1 937. IJM N, JR I 2,096,403

ICE CUBE TRAY Filed Aug. 8, 1936 INVENTOR 7/70/70: f/Vwamngfe BY W ORNEY Patented Oct. 19, 1937 7 ICE mm TRAY V I Thomas J. Morton, In, Evansville, Ind., assignor I to Hoosier Lamp 85 Stamping Corporation,

I v Evansville, Ind., a corporatlon of Indiana Application August s, 1936, Serial No. 94,899

7 Claims.

I My invention relates to trays, and especially to metal trays of the type used as ice-cube trays in refrigerators; Such trays are customarily formed "with -a single sheet-metal stamping having an '5 outwardly directed peripheral flange which, across the front end of the tray, is provided with a down-turned lip-serving as a handle to aid in the withdrawal of the tray-from the evaporator.

In the absence of especial care in the manufac-L :10 ture of such trays, the down-turned lip is apt to possess burrs or sharp edges which constitute an obvious disadvantage; and, as the tray'is usually formed of metal having a high heat-conductivity,

1 the handle is disagreeably'c'old to the touch.

15 It is the object of my in'ventionto provide a I 'tray'of the typeabove described with a handle *membnwhicn win cover the free edge or the down tu'rned lip and which will thus prevent injury from sharpedges or burrs. A further obf ject of myQ-invention is to enhance the appearance 'of'the tray by 'prov'idinga handle member which can be in'a contrasting color; Still an otherobject of my invention'is to provide for the tray a handle "of materially lowerheat-con- 25d1ictivitythan the material of the tray, whereby the handling of the tray is rendered less unpleasant.

In carrying out my invention, I form the tray proper as above'set forth-namely, with an out- 30' wardly projecting flange which, across the front end of the tray, is bent downwardly to form a v lip-and I provide for this lip a handle member.

The handle member is conveniently formed of I some moldable material such as a synthetic resin or alliedsubstance, and has, in plan, the same I shape as the lip on the tray. The handle member is deeply grooved longitudinally for the reception of the lip, and preferably engages both the inner and outer faces of the lip tightly. If

40 desired, the handle member may be provided at intervals with ribs, bridging thev groove, such ribs being tightly received in notches in the lower edge of the lip. The accompanying drawing illustrates my in- 45 vention: Fig. 1 is a fragmental plan view of the front end of an ice-cube tray with a part thereof brokenaway; Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation of the tray shown in Fig. 1, the extreme front end of the tray and. the handle member being 50 broken away on or about the longitudinal centerline of the tray; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the tray with a portion of the handle member broken away; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental view similar to Fig.3, but on an enlarged scale.

55 The tray l0 shown in the drawing has side walls I edge of the widened flange I4 is bent downwardly to provide a lip I5 which, in the conventional tray, is used as a handle.

The handle member l6 applied to the lip iii in accordance with my invention is, as above 10 set forth, preferably made of a synthetic resin orsome other suitable moldable material. I prefer cellulose acetate. In plan, the handle member l6 has the same shape as the lip l5 and is provided with a relatively deep groove for the reception of such lip. The groove should preferably have a width closely approximating the thickness of the lip in order thatthe side walls of thegroove will frictionally engage the sides of the lipwhen v the handle member is in place.

While the handle member might be held in place with suflicientpermanence merely by the frictional engagement-between the walls of the groove and the'sides of the lip l5, or while it could be cemented'in place, I prefer to employ 5 other means for insuring that it will not be easily removable. To this end, I form the handle member with one or more transverse ribs l l which extend between the walls of the groove in the handle member and which are received in notches I8 in the lower edge of the lip 15. The notches are of such a width that their side edges flrmly embrace the respectively associated ribs IT and augment the efiect of friction between the side walls of the groove and the sides of the lip in holding the handle in place. I find it convenient to make the notches 18 of a dove-tail shape with the distance across the throat of the dove tail a few thousandths of an inch less than the thickness of the associated rib I1.

In attaching a handle member of the type described, it is brought into place below the lip with the edge of the lip received in the groove and with the ribs l1 alined with the notches I8. With the handle member in this position, it is forced upwardly to cause the ribs I! to enter the notches. In passing through the throats of the notches, the ribs I! are compressed slightly and, expanding above such notch-throats tend to hold the handle securely in place;

Not only do the ribs IT, by co-operating with the sides of the notches I 8, act directly to hold the handle IS in place, but they also tie together and prevent any spreading of the walls of the groove in the handle and thus insure that the groove-walls will tightly embrace the lip'at all of the user from injury as the result of sharpv edges or burrs on the lip I5 and it is not as disagreeably cold to the touch as is the metal lip.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tray formed of sheet-metal and having at one end an outwardly extending flange provided with a downturned lip, and a molded handle member generally U-shaped in cross-section embracing the lower edge of said lip, said handle member being provided with one or more integral ribs extending between its two side walls and the lower edge of said lip being provided with a notch for the reception 01 each of said ribs,

each of said notches being of dove-tail shape and the distance across. the throat of the dove-tail being slightly less than the thickness of the associated rib whereby thematerial of said rib will be compressed when thehandle is forced into vribs extending between its two side walls and the a lower edge of said lip being provided with a notch for each of said ribs,.the side walls of each notch tightly embracingthe associated rib.

3. A tray formedof sheet-metal and having at one end an outwardly extendingflange provided I with a downturned lip, and a molded handle membergenerally U-shaped in cross-section em bracing the lower edge of said lip, said handle member being provided with one or more integral ribs extending between its two side walls and the lower edge 01 said lip being provided with a notch for each rib, the width of each notch being slightly less than the normal thickness of its associated rib, whereby the material of each rib is compressed when the handle member is in place.

4. A tray formed of sheet-metal and having at one end an outwardly extending flange provided with a downturned lip, and a molded handle member generally U-shaped in cross-section embracing the lower edge of said lip, said handle member being provided with one or more integral ribs extending between its two side walls and the lower edge 01' said lip being provided with a notch ior each of said ribs. v

,5. A tray formed of sheet-metal and having at.

means extending through saidlip and between the walls ofsaid groove for preventing separation of the groove-walls, said means being integral withthe handle member. a

6. A tray iormed oi sheet-metal and having at one end an outwardly extending flange provided with a downturned lip, and ,a molded handle member, said handle member having a longitudinal groove in which said lip is received, and means extending through said lip and between the walls of said groove for-preventing separation of the groove-walls. 1 a I a 7. A tray formed of sheet-metal and having at one end an outwardly extending flange provided with a downturned lip. and a, molded handle member having a longitudinal groove receiving the lower edge of said lip, said lip being provided with one or more openings extending through it, and said handle member being provided within said groove with a projection for each of said openings and'having a press fit therein.

THOMAS}. MORTON, Jr- 

